Unique name for each different material
The material code uniquely identifies each material such as chipboard (particle board), white melamine, laminates, hardboard etc. Each material is described by:
- Physical description (faced board, plain particle board, hardboard)
- Thickness (1/2in., 3/4in., 15mm, 18mm)
- Colour/features (Plain, White, Vinyl one side)
So 1/2in. particle board and 3/4in. inch particle board should have different material codes, as do 3/4in. particle board, and 3/4in. vinyl faced board, for example:-
PB1/2 - particle board 1/2in
MFC15 - melamine faced chipboard 15mm
HB3/4 - hardboard 3/4in
Plan the use of material codes carefully as an easy to understand code makes the program easier to use and leads to fewer mistakes.
Variable material codes - this method can be useful where a large number of material codes are needed, for example, when working with colours or laminates - see the topics below for details.
The material code can include spaces, e.g. MFC 15/1 GRADE 1
